The Edwardsville Tigers avenged their loss to Belleville West from last year by sweeping the Maroons 25-18, 25-23 on September 26 at Liberty Middle School.
“This means a lot to us,” said Edwardsville outside hitter Ciara Cunningham. “We have faced a lot of challenges this year. We learned that these challenges are not weaknesses but strengths.”
With this victory, the Tigers improved to 10-7 overall and 5-1 in the Southwestern Conference (SWC), tying them for first place with Belleville West and O’Fallon. Edwardsville has won nine consecutive conference championships and has a record of 84 wins in their last 87 league matches.
Belleville West now stands at 13-5, also with a 5-1 record in the SWC.
Last year, the Maroons defeated the Tigers in the Class 4A Alton Regional championship match, winning 25-23, 25-21. This marked Belleville West’s first regional title since 2011.
Despite last season’s outcome, Cunningham emphasized that the Tigers were not dwelling on it. They concentrated on the current game and securing the win.
“Last season didn’t end the way we wanted, but we treated this match like any other. We didn’t overlook anyone,” Cunningham stated.
Edwardsville maintained a lead of 20-15 in both sets. After winning the first set comfortably, the Tigers faced more resistance in the second. The Maroons rallied to tie the score at 21. However, kills from Madelyn Ohlau and Livia Goebel put the Tigers ahead 23-21. Although Belleville West pulled within 24-23, Cunningham secured the match with her eighth kill.
By winning the second set, Edwardsville avoided a third set for the 11th time this season. They are currently 5-5 in matches that go to three sets.
Cunningham credited her teammates for the win. “The defense did a fantastic job picking up difficult balls. Our setter, Savannah Ford, made excellent plays that helped the hitters. The servers were also impressive,” she said.
The Tigers finished the match with 12 aces, marking the seventh time this season they achieved double-digit aces. They had a season-high 19 aces against Alton on September 17.
“We have been consistent at the service line. It fuels our team and helps us take control of the game,” said Edwardsville coach Heather Ohlau.
Madelyn Ohlau led the team with five aces, while Ford contributed three aces. Cunningham led the Tigers in kills with eight, followed by Ohlau with five kills and Ford with 21 assists. Ohlau also led the defense with six digs, while Grace Malawy and Kate Cadagin each had five digs.
Coach Ohlau expressed satisfaction with her team’s response after a tough loss to St. Joseph’s Academy on September 24, where the Tigers led late in both sets but lost 25-23, 25-21.
“We discussed toughness. We’ve had to overcome more challenges than other teams, and that’s a strength,” Heather Ohlau said. “We need to find that strength in each other and fight together.”
Edwardsville is currently without setter Lucy Malawy, which has prompted a shift from a 6-2 formation to a 5-1 setup.
The Tigers will next compete against O’Fallon on October 1 at 6 p.m. in a matchup of conference frontrunners.
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